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July 23, 2013

Some people’s dream job would be an astronaut, others a president, others a professional makeup artist. The last is much easier to attain than the former, and can be done relatively quickly to boot.There are very many people who have made a living by making others look good. Some have even become celebrities by mere fact of making others look good. However, the journey to the top is not as smooth as you might think.

How to Become a Professional Makeup Artist

For all those who want to pursue cosmetics as a career, here are the steps needed to be taken in order to become a makeup artist.

Network Aggressively

There are plenty of people out there looking to hire makeup artists; between photographers and videographers, there are always companies that pay top dollar for people to look good. The problem is finding these people and convincing them that you are worth a paycheck. Before you even enter into beauty school, network in every industry that hires makeup artists in order to find out the job climate and the best ways to get hired upon graduation. Knowing someone in the business is just as good as graduating at the top of the class.

Get Regulated

No matter where in the United States you intend to practice your craft, it will be necessary to be regulated or licensed with the state. Find out about how you get licensed and if there are any steps that are necessary in school (such as a requisite number of training hours). Anyone who is interested in working in a salon as a makeup artist will need to be licensed. While you are looking at the license laws, take a gander at any self-employment law if you would ever like to open up your own salon and work for yourself. Some states make it more difficult than others.

Think of the Startup Costs

It may be quite expensive to break into the industry on account of the fact that a makeup artist will need their own full kit of makeup and supplies. While you may be able to get away with a few cheap containers of mascara or nail polish or lipstick, getting a comprehensive kit will cost thousands and potentially tens of thousands of dollars. This will be tax-deductible, since it is the cost of doing business, but still represents a major investment that requires a new loan.

Specialize Your Work

Just like an artist works in a specific medium, so too do makeup artists specialize in certain work. Market yourself as a photography makeup expert or a film makeup expert so as to better be able to get hired. All the same, however, be as versatile as possible to get hired at any position while you wait for a big break to come along your way.

Whether you want to work for yourself or work for Hollywood, the key to becoming a professional makeup artist is hardwork and a lot of patience.